Unentended Consequences
by AlyWanaB
Summary: When Dom is forced to quit the Own unexpected things ensue. Kel ends up getting pregnant with Neal's kid, and Dom helps her. Kel/Dom
1. Alone in a Bar

It was Kel's first day off in a long time. The war was over and she had just arrived in Corus after 3 years in the field. She had been promised at least 5 months off before returning to Duty. Kel had decided the first place she wanted to spend it was home in Mindelan but had come from the middle of the Tusaine border and decided it would make the most sense to make a small detoured into Corus to make her final reports in person before having a nice long uninterrupted stay at home.

She decided to spend it with Dom's squad and Neal, out at a tavern. The first thing that happened was Dom made a speech.

"To the Lady Knight!" Everyone cheered. "To Meathead!" More cheering. "Without them I would no longer have my head on my shoulders and I would not be here to say this to you now." The cheering lessened and Dom took a deep breath. "Do to circumstances outside of my control, I am forced to leave the Own. Thank you, and good night." Dom swept out of the room and dead silence fell over the gathering.

"Just like that?" Wolset exclaimed.

"I had no idea," said Neal.

Kel stayed silent, but when more beer was ordered, she didn't send it away.

**A/N this piece is a work in progress. If there is anything wrong with it, please tell me, I want to know. There will be more coming, and very soon, I just couldn't find a way to tell it with out a break here. Sorry!**

**Disclaimer: Characters/setting are not mine, they belong to Tamora Pierce**


	2. Did we Really do That?

Kel woke up. Last night had been so… Where was she? Why wasn't she home? She was in a bed in a room in the tavern they had been in when Dom said that he wouldn't be in the Own anymore. Why hadn't she gone back to the castle? Did She stay with somebody?

She took the time to look around. Yes there was defiantly someone else in bed with her, who was it? She carefully pulled back the overs so as not to wake the person underneath.

Neal?

That was not good. Neal was engaged to be married to Yuki, and they Loved each other. The only reason Neal would have done something like this was if he had been as drunk as Kel had been. Kel got up and hurried out of the room. Neal couldn't know about this. If he did he would do the honorable thing and marry her which would break his heart.

Kel hurried to put on her clothes, and found her anti-pregnancy charm on the floor. This was worse than she thought. Kel sighed and left it off. There was no point now.

**A/N hope it is better now. There is more coming with Dom. Should also come soon. Please feel free to review especially if you don't like something and have an Idea to make it Better.**


	3. (faint)

It had been two weeks since that fateful night and Kel was going to see a Healing woman. She hadn't told anyone and hoped nothing would come of it so she could just forget the whole thing. She hadn't seen Dom or Neal since that night and she didn't really want to.

"I'm here, Madame Zehai. I just want you do a general check-up spell to see if I'm okay." Madame Zehai was not aware of who or what Kel was, she thought she was just some farmer's wife come in off the fields for her yearly check-up. If she did find out Kel suspected she would mind her own business. Madame Zehai was well known in the court of the rouge for her ability not to gossip, as Kel had found out during her page years when she had a market day.

"Ah, yes. Let's have a look here." The pale blue-green fire of Madame Zehai's Gift bathed the top of Kel in a magical glow, and slowly started to move downward. "Nothing wrong with the lungs, nice strong muscles, and, what do we have here?" The glow was stopped around Kel's midsection. Madame Zehai looked up at Kel with an excited smile. " No matter how many times I say this, I still get an excited jolt. I am pleased to inform you Ma'am, you're pregnant!"

**A/N Thanks a lot if you are reading this. Please if you have any suggestions, review. I know I promised Dom, and he is coming in the chapter after next a least. I am looking forward to seeing him just as much a you are, so hold on in there, he is coming!**


	4. Queenscove?

_What should I do, what should I do, what should I do?_ Kel thought as she paced back and forth in her room at the palace. She knew she could never tell Neal. He would do the honorable and marry her, but it would just be awkward. Kel hadn't had feelings for him since she was a page, and Neal was deeply in love with Yuki. It was all because they were drunk. _Why did Dom have to quit the Own anyway? It's not as if he's getting married or something. _

"Kel, I know you're in there, come on out. We all want to see you. Why are you hiding from us?" Neal. He had been doing this every day for the past two weeks, ever since he had relished she was hiding. She just couldn't bear facing him. It was too much.

"Kel, come on out Neal's gone. He thought maybe if you wouldn't talk to him, maybe you would talk to me." It was Lord Raoul. Unfortunately, Neal was right. Kel grudgingly opened the door. "Kel, are you okay?"

She led the way over to her bed and sat down on it, as Lord Raoul pulled a chair over and sat down facing her.

"I'm Pregnant."

Lord Raoul toke a moment to process this so he would respond in a way that wouldn't be insensitive. "What happened? Do you know who the father is? Can I assume it an accident considering you have been hiding since it happened?"

"It's Neal's baby."

"_Queenscove?_"

"What other Neal do you know? It was an accident. After Dom told us he was quitting, we got so drunk, it just happened. I," Kel stopped, her body shaking with suppressed sobs. Raoul moved to the bed and put his arms around her knowing this was hard for her. "I'm pregnant, and I don't know what to do."

"What?" unrealized by the two of them the door was still hanging open. Dom walked in, closing the door firmly behind him. "Some bastard went and got Kel pregnant, and now won't assume responsibility for it? Whoever it is I will kill them for you Kel, I swear,"

"Dom, don't go making promises you can't keep." A still tearful Kel pointed out.

"Just tell me Kel, who did it, and I will hunt them down, I will,"

"It's Neal."

_"Meathead?" _Kel nodded. "But that's not a problem; he'll marry you for sure," Dom started laughing, "why don't you just tell him. Why didn't you tell us you two were courting? Nobody would have blamed you. I mean, you guys have known each other for so long, although why he was stringing along Yuki is questionable. I will have to talk to him about that." Dom was still laughing, but I Kel wasn't mistaken there was a little seed of worry in his eyes that hadn't gone away.

"Dom, stop." Kel gestured to the chair in front of her and Dom sat down still looking a little confused, "Neal doesn't know, and I can't tell him. It all happened that night you told us you were quitting. We were drunk. I can't remember anything, other than I woke up next to him the next morning, and I didn't have my anti-pregnancy charm on. I went to a healing woman yesterday and she confirmed it, I'm definitely pregnant."

"Are you sure it's Neal's baby? Couldn't it be someone else's?" Dom looked earnest. This couldn't be happening to him, not now. Not when he had just quit the Own so he would have a chance to… But he couldn't think about that now.

"No. It's no one else's. There hasn't been anyone in my life for a very long time. And even when there was… Well, we were careful. We didn't do anything because I wanted to get my Shield, and even when I had it, there was a war. I couldn't afford a baby, and I didn't quite trust the Charm."

"Really? I mean I had just assumed, you're a sweet, sensitive, beautiful girl, and I know you've had plenty of people who liked you, I don't know why…" He trailed off, unsure of where to go with what he was saying.

"I'm an unwed 24 year old female. People have been assuming I have been doing stuff like that for a very long time. I just wanted to prove them wrong." Kel sighed, and leaned into Lord Roaul's warm, father-like embrace. "What will my parents say?" she started to cry again.

"Kel everything is going to be okay. My lord, please meet us back here in three hours. Bring Buri, Yuki and Meathead."

"What are you doing, Dom?" Kel asked, sitting up.

"I have to go talk to some friends of mine, call on some favors."

**A/N Dom's here and he's going to save the Day, yay! I made a longer chapter today because I had the time, but I don't know if I will be able to do this every time. Thank you so much if you reviewed. **


	5. Kel gets a dress

Kel? Can I come in?" It was Neal. Kel sighed. She really didn't want to face him yet.

"Yeah, come on in."

"Lord Raoul Said something was happening and I should come here. He wouldn't tell me what, though. Yuki is coming in about a half hour." Neal looked at her, and then held his arms out, and gave her a rather awkward hug. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Kel, look what I brought you!" Buri rushed in. "You, leave, for about 15 minutes, okay?" Neal left. Buri showed Kel what she had brought. It was a deep green ball gown. The skirt was full and the top was embroidered in black.

"It's amazing," Kell gasped. "Where did it come from?"

"Lalasa had it made especially for you. It was for your birthday, but when we asked, she said that this was a better time." Buri smiled, "Now go put it on."

It was the most beautiful thing Kel had ever worn, it fit her perfectly, as everything Lalasa made did, and it drew the attention away from her scars and towards the dress, which then reflected back on her and made her look flawless.

Kel didn't really know what was going on, but Dom had told her everything would be explained in time, and she should just play along until then.

"Kel? Can I come in yet?" It was Neal. Kel had hardly remembered what was going on she was so swept away by the dress. At the sound of Neal's voice it all came rushing back to her, but it was easier to keep at a distance now.

"Yeah, come on in."

Neal walked in, "Yuki's here and Raoul arrived saying Dom would meet us there." He paused, and toke a deep breath. "Kel, what's going on? Thing have been weird since the night Dom quit. I know we got really drunk. Kel, did I do something wrong? Was it me? I don't remember any of it, but I just want you to know, you're my best friend, and whatever it was, I'm really sorry."

Here he paused again. "This is a weird time to tell you, but I'm getting married. Yuki finally seemed to want me to propose, and I did." This startled Kel. The reason they hadn't married years ago was because of war. Not any particular war, just war in general. First it was the Scanran War, followed most recently by the Galla war, fought through Tusaine. Yuki had refused to marry someone who couldn't settle down for a bit and was always going off to war. "She said if we kept waiting she would lose me to old age, not to war. Kel, I want to be so happy right now. There is a part of me that already is there, but there is a bigger part of me that can't be happy when you're so upset. Kel, please tell me, whatever is happening here, it's to make you happy."

Kel smiled weakly. She wanted to tell him she had no idea what was going on, and she did not see how this could get any better but she just said, "Yeah, everything is going to be great. I'm so excited for you and Yuki!"

Neal looked relieved. "Thank the Goddess. I,"

Yuki came in, interrupting him, "Now the only problem is what part you are going to play in the ceremony. I wanted you to be my maid of honor, but Neal insisted you be his best man, or I guess, woman."

The antics of her two friends were so amusing that even Kel couldn't help but laugh. The seriousness of the situation was lost until Lord Raoul called in, "Hurry up Kel, we're going to be late!"

"Late for what?" Yuki asked.

"Yeah, Kel, you still haven't told us what's going on." Neal complained, right as Lord Raoul walked in the door.

"Why, Kel's wedding of course!" He boomed.

It was all Kel could do to keep her Yamani mask in place. This was what Dom had planned to fix everything?

**A/N Please tell me what you think! It makes me want to write when I get another review. I realized half way through this piece that Yuki and Neal should have married long ago… but I couldn't have Neal married… and the war should have ended years ago. Sorry if those parts seem a little rough. On the upside I think I know where this is going to go in about five Chapters! I am so excited. And yes this is a Kel/Dom piece. I loved Kel/Neal… Until I met Dom. Then, I was in love just as much as Kel. It might take while to get there, and I do have some twists and turns planned, but it will end with Kel and Dom**


	6. Marriage

Kel's mind couldn't be still. She was about to be married, which made sense, but who to? Whoever it was had a surprise coming when the baby come out looking like Neal. There was no way she could conceal that nose if the baby came out with it. And who would agree to marry her. No one wanted to marry her, and even if they did Kel wasn't sure if she wanted to marry whoever it was. Spend her life with a complete stranger? No thank you. Maybe it was someone who wanted her as a cover wife while he went out and had affairs with other women? That wouldn't be half bad, if he allowed Kel to do as she pleased.

All this time they had been walking through the castle to the room that would hold a priestess of the Great Mother Goddess and the man who was to be the rest of Kel's life, and the father to her unborn child.

They came to a room in a wing of the palace that Kel was unfamiliar with and proceeded in. Kel took a good look at her future husband and gasped. Luckily it was drowned out by the sounds of surprise coming from everyone else. "Dom?"

"Why didn't you tell us you were getting married?" Yuki cried. "I just knew you two would be perfect for each other!"

Neal, on the other hand had different things to say, "Dom. You know I love you like a brother, but if you hurt Kel, I swear, I will hurt you like you have never been hurt before."

Dom just smiled, and reached out his hand for Kel. "Dom," She hissed, once she was close enough to speak without being over heard, "What are you doing?"

Dom just said, "Trust me on this, please. I will explain it all later."

Kel was skeptical, but when it came time she said, "I do," Right alongside Dom.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Kel had forgotten about this part, she didn't know what to do. She hadn't kissed anyone in a very long time. She had been focused on war for so long, and kissing her _friend, _she forced herself to think of him as a friend, nothing more.

Dom saw her confusion and smiled, leaning down he kissed her, gently, nicely, like a friend.

Everyone cheered. Kel was so confused that it was all she could do to keep her mask in place.

"Let's all go out to eat and celebrate!" Neal cried, much to everyone's delight. Everyone, that is, except for Kel. She remembered what had happened last time she had gone out to celebrate. She looked towards Dom for help.

"Sorry, Meathead. I really want to get my new bride home." The way he said it brought things to mind, not so innocent things…

Dom picked up Kel and waltzed her out of the room, down some stairs and in to a waiting carriage.

"What is going on?" Kel demanded as soon as they were safely on their way.

"Kel, do you know why this whole mess started?" When Kel still looked puzzled he prompted, "Why I left the Own?" Kel shook her head. "My father passed away a month ago, and then, shortly after, my older brother got himself killed in battle. My mother wrote to me to tell me that I was now Lord of Masbolle, and as such my first duty was to produce an heir. That would involve getting married, something that would require me to quit the Own.

"I did that, and the unintended consequence of that was you getting pregnant. That is my first reason for marrying you. I felt responsible. The second reason is it is Neal's kid. We know you had to marry someone, and this way if it comes out looking anything like him, we can always say 'Wow, doesn't he look a lot like Cousin Neal? Funny thing.' The third reason is we work well together, Kel. I think maybe we can learn to love each other. I already…" He swallowed, "know that if that doesn't work out we can be friends, and just stay out of each other's way.

"I will say right here and now, Kel, if you want to have another lover, go ahead. I rushed you in to this and I will deal. I just want you to be by my side in the day and help me govern my people. If you want to be somewhere else during the night, that is your choice. I know this can work, Kel. You already have a kid, you don't need to provide me with another one."

"Dom, thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without you. You are one of my best friends, and by doing this you are not only saving me, but also, Neal and Yuki. I don't know what I can do to repay you."

After some time Kel drifted off to sleep, and she didn't her Dom murmur, "Just by being her, you do enough."

**A/N I am not really sure if Dom's dad was a lord or if maybe he had some other tittle. If anyone knows please PM me or just review. I hope you liked that, and I want to know! Even if you didn't like it, tell me what I can do to make it better. Please, Please review! They make me want to write again! **


	7. Home?

**A/N Funny thing, I meant to write Just by being ****here,**** you do enough, and then I published it, and then I realized I had written Just by being ****her,**** you do enough. I was going to go back and change it, but then I realized what Dom said was actually sweeter and more explanatory than what I wanted Dom to say. Talk about a message from the character.**

After arriving, at the end of the three hour carriage ride, Dom softly woke Kel up, and** s**howed her in to the house. "Mum! I'm here! This is my new bride, Keladry of Mindelan - sorry, I mean, Masbolle - my new bride, Keladry of Masbolle." Dom's voice shone with pride as he spoke to an older woman, one who had his nose and mouth, but Neal's eyes. "Kel, this is my mom, Amberry of Masbolle."

"I am so happy to meet you Kel. Dom has told me so much about you. Please, make your self at home," the woman laughed hesitantly, "I'm sorry. That was silly of me. This is your home." She paused awkwardly, "well, I'm sure you don't want to be here talking to an old girl like me. Dom will show you to the bed room."

Dom smiled cheekily and showed Kel up the stairs. "Here we are Kel, the master suite." Dom ushered her into a large room, closing and locking the door behind him. "Luckily it comes with two bedrooms. Here," he showed her into a room bigger than Lord Raoul's room at the palace. "This is your room. My room is over there. Technically it was for a servant, but it is more comfortable than anything the Own ever slept in, so I will be fine. Good night."

"Good night," Kel whispered back. She crossed the room and lay down on her new bed but wouldn't sleep for quite some time.

. . .

Meanwhile Dom lay in his bed, also awake, and thinking about the child. He knew what it felt like to feel unwanted. Maybe that was why he had helped Kel, because he wanted to be sure her kid would always feel loved. Maybe it was the way Kel had looked when contemplating the future with Neal's kid. Maybe it was the way Dom felt about … He couldn't let himself think like that. Dom didn't know what it was, but he knew that it was his kid that Kel was pregnant with, even if the kid shared Neal's genetics.

**A/N Hi, sorry this chapter is so short. I have had it written for a while and have been trying to make it longer; Unfortunately I have a serious case of writer's block. I know what will happen next, but the transition will be kind of awkward. Please stick with me, I know this coming part won't be so great and will seem really OOC, but it is the only way I will be able to get to the part I can write. Please Review.**


	8. Once in a Life Time

**A/N Part of this chapter did not come from my brain, or the brain of the lovely T. Pierce. It came from the brain of the amazing Lollypops101. I won't say what part, because that would ruin the surprise, but, if you want to know, she suggested it in the review section, so you can read it there. Thank you so much Lollypops101. Know that this story is that much better because of you. **

During the next week Kel was bombarded with letters asking her where she was and what was going on. Several people asked her to go back to the palace. The letters from Neal were both the best and the worst parts of her week. In one breath he would go on and on about how he missed her terribly and was upset by the fact that she hadn't told him that she was marring Dom, and in the next he would complain about the sadness of Yuki and claimed Kel's departure had driven them to get married without her in order to comfort themselves.

Kel might have been slightly worried had she not also been in correspondence with Yuki who told her that they had set the date in six months and if Kel didn't come help her plan she would march straight to Masbolle and drag Kel to the palace by her ears.

Kel weighed her options, and decided to go back to the palace; she missed her friends so much. She talked to Dom, and they agreed it made sense.

On the day of departure Kel got up extra early. She snuck out of her room. _To let Dom get a little bit more sleep, _she told herself. _Not because he would have anything to say to stop her. _She quietly eased open the door with her glaive in hand. _Gently does it. _

"Kel? Where do you think you're going?"

She stopped. It was Dom. "I haven't practiced with my glaive for almost a week. I am so out of practice that when we go to the palace all the ladies will be able to beat me without trying. I'm just trying to keep in shape."

"Kel. Be reasonable," Dom protested. "There is no way I am going to let you go out there and risk hurting the baby!"

"Dom, you be reasonable." It wasn't a suggestion. "I know what we can handle. I won't hurt it."

She marched out the door and was looking for a practice court when Dom stopped her. "Kel, you can't do this! You might hurt the baby!"

Kel was starting to get annoyed. "Fine. You don't like it, then try to stop me."

"Kel? What do you mean? Just physically try to keep you from going outside?" Dom was confused, and it was beginning to show.

She laughed. "No! I challenge you to a sword fight. If I win I get to practice as much as I want to. If you win, I'll stop."

Dom considered for a moment before agreeing. Kel had never been a particularly strong sword fighter, and with her condition, Dom was confident in his ability to win.

An hour later found them both in the practice court ready to fight. They stood, watching each other, looking for a movement. Kel moved first, opening with a slashing movement that looked off balance and wild, but was calculated, and had the intended result; Dom took a step backward, and in that moment when he was slightly off balance Kel lunged toward him again and managed to push his sword out of the way, then turning and placing the tip of her sword on his neck.

"Okay, okay, you win." Dom was pretty confused. That was nothing like the Kel he knew. He expected her to fight a little bit less recklessly. "That was something else. I have never seen you fight like that before!"

"Yeah," Kel sighed. "It was a little something I learned in the war. I prefer to fight a little more carefully, but I knew you would be expecting that, so I did something unexpected. I am not as good at fighting that way, and if it happened again, you would win." Here she smiled. "But it won't happen again, I just won, and you are not going back on your promise." In the background a clock tolled. "I guess we had better be going." She didn't mention the fact that the entire house hold had gathered in order to watch their match, nor did he bring it up. Kel also tactfully ignored to blush that colored Dom's cheeks as they walked away.

** A/N This chapter was fun to write. I have been procrastinating because I thought I needed to have masked balls in order to move on with the plot and they were going to be really OOC and awkward. But, I figured out how to get by without them, yay! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!**


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